Your iPhone is more than a screen for texting. Smartphones are how we get work done, stay on top of the crazy news cycle, relax, connect with friends and family, and capture life’s most precious moments. Carrying all that information in our pockets is incredibly powerful, and it makes getting through our days so much easier. It also means that your most important data can be lost when you forget your phone on the train or have an unfortunate spill on the sidewalk.
If you want to avoid the frenzy of trying to recover the best shots from a friend’s wedding, you should back up your iPhone. This is a good idea if you plan to update to a new iPhone. There are several ways to do this, depending on your needs and habits. After you’ve got everything backed up, check out our guide to choosing the best iPhone.
Updated September 2024: We’ve verified the steps for the latest iOS version and added more information about backups.
iCloud Backup
Your easiest option, and Apple’s first recommendation, is to back up your iPhone to iCloud.
The process is quite simple:
- Connect to Wi-Fi.
- Enter the Settings and tap your name, then iCloud.
- On the iCloud page, scroll down and tap on iCloud Backup. Make sure the switch is toggled so you get automatic backups every 24 hours when your iPhone is charging, locked, and connected to Wi-Fi. Then tap Back Up Now to force a backup.
- Check things like Photos that you want iCloud to back up (you can uncheck other categories).
Apple gives you 5 GB of iCloud storage for free, but that’s probably not enough to cover all your data. You can always buy more iCloud storage, though that will take you deeper into Apple’s ecosystem. Fortunately, in iOS 15, Apple introduced a temporary way to back up your iCloud data, even if you run out of storage, to allow you to switch iPhones. If you prefer not to use the cloud, there is another way.
Backing Up Your Mac
If your phone is full of photos, songs, apps, and years of text messages, you may want to create a local backup. If you have a computer with a few gigs to spare, you can plug in your iPhone and click a few buttons to make sure all your phone data is safely tucked away. But the exact method depends on your MacOS version.
If you’re not sure which Apple operating system you have, click the small Apple icon in the upper left corner of your Mac desktop and choose About This Mac. Another window will appear, telling you what version you are running.
Backing Up MacOS Catalina 10.15 or later
The MacOS Catalina (2019) upgrade removed iTunes, replacing it with three separate apps for music, podcasts, and TV. The backup option is now found in the Finder, where you can search for folders and other drives. The steps to back up your iPhone are very similar to iTunes:
- Connect your iPhone to your computer using a cable.
- Tomorrow Finder and select your iPhone at the bottom Locations in the sidebar.
- Click on General and choose Back up all the data on your iPhone to this Mac.
- If you want to encrypt your data and protect it with a password, select Encrypt local backup.
- Click Back Up Now.
